Los Angeles-based comedian Joe "El Cholo" Luna died the same day after documenting his experience with the deadly Covid-19 from his hospital bed on his social media account. Luna, 38, struggled to breathe and fumbled with his oxygen mask as he addressed his followers in an Instagram Live video that later went viral.
In the video, Luna got extremely candid about the realities of the deadly illness. Although Luna died on November 23, news of his death wasn't announced till early this week. He first opened up about his coronavirus journey on November 21 on Instagram, revealing that he had been suffering from chest pains and pneumonia. However, no one including his fans realized that he would ultimately succumb to the infection the same day he would post a second video about his deteriorating condition owing to the infection.
Tearful Goodbye
In the 35-minute video posted on November 21, Luna said he had been dealing with "horrible" symptoms, which included chest pains, stomach aches, uncontrollable shaking, and the loss of his sense of taste. "Wow this is no joke and especially if you are diabetic it will rain hard on your parade," he captioned the post. "And no i didn't get it from going out and performing. It was due to close contact."
"Please take care of yourself. Don't think that you can take care of it on your own. ... If you think that COVID is a joke — if you think that this won't be you — then trust me, because it hits everybody different. ... I got hit with it very severe," he added in a follow-up video.
He posted a second video on November 23. He was filmed speaking from his hospital bed in a "filthy" Covid-19 unit, which he said had unsanitary conditions. In the final video Luna can be seen speculating that he contracted the deadly coronavirus at his mother-in-law's house.
He also revealed that his mother, his girlfriend, and his children had tested positive for the virus. His mother was also hospitalized with Covid-19 and pneumonia. "This is horrible, guys," he said while wearing an oxygen mask in the Instagram clip. "My pneumonia got very bad. Everything has just been ... in a downfall right now," was his final message.
Hours later, Luna died due to respiratory problem resulting from the coronavirus attack. Luna was a diabetic and a double amputee due to the disease. According to him, Covid-19 hit him especially hard due to his preexisting conditions.
Fans Mourn Comedian's Death
Understandably, Luna's death was quite untimely and unexpected as no one realized the severity of the infection caused by the novel coronavirus. Luna's family set up a GoFundMe to help cover the costs of his funeral expenses.
"Not only was he a great son, dad, hubby but also a best friend to many of us," a message on the fundraising page said. "Even when he was hurting he managed to put a smile in our face."
Luna was known for his witty commentary on cholo culture, which he popularized over the past few years. Luna grew up in East LA and Fontana and performed at local clubs such as Hollywood's Improv and Pasadena's Ice House. A public memorial for the comedian will be held on Saturday. Prior to his death, the comedian performed at local clubs such as The Ice House and The Improv Theatre, according to FOX 11 LA.
